Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat has rejected rumours circulating on social media about the closure of schools on Fridays, confirming that educational activities across the province will continue as usual.
The minister clarified that all public and private schools in Punjab will remain open from Monday to Friday, and there is currently no proposal to keep schools closed on Fridays. Meanwhile, the first-term School-Based Assessments (SBA) for students from Grades 1 to 8 are scheduled to begin on September 18, 2026, and continue until September 30, according to the schedule issued by the Punjab Education Curriculum Training and Assessment Authority (PECTAA).
The education minister urged teachers, parents and students to rely only on official announcements from the Punjab School Education Department and avoid believing unverified information circulating on social media. The clarification comes amid growing speculation online regarding changes to school timings and weekly holidays in Punjab.
On the other hand, the Punjab government has decided to revive sports activities across educational institutions, with mega sports events planned from October to December for students.
The decision was taken during a high-level meeting of the Punjab Education Department chaired by Provincial Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat. Chairpersons of all educational boards and chief executive officers also attended the meeting, where officials briefed the committee on the province’s Sports Action Plan.
Under the plan, mega sports events will be organised across all schools in Punjab from October to December. Officials said sports committees have already been established in all 35,000 schools across the province, while sports equipment has so far been provided to 450 schools.